Chicagoist on Upcoming IJ Clinic Mobile Food Symposium

Food trucks in Chicago are in a somewhat stagnant pattern, even as new additions put rubber to road. The proposed legislation which would allow food trucks to cook on board has been held up for months over concerns by the Illinois Restaurant Association and Ald. Tom Tunney (44th) over trucks encroaching near brick-and-mortar restaurants. Local pioneers in thefield like Matt Maroni and Phillip Foss have stowed their trucks to focus on other projects. Food trucks often mass up at the same specific locations during a work week, and some food truck operators say their daily location announcements via social media have made made it easier for Chicago Police to target and ticket them. Then there's the matter of diversity: how many dessert trucks can a city handle, for example?

Hopefully, these and other issues regarding food trucks will be discussed during My Treats, My eats, a symposium this Saturday at University of Chicago Law School. The Institute for Justice has organized this symposium to discuss the current state of Chicago's food truck scene, what needs to be done to help it grow, how food trucks build a sense of community and offer tips for budding entrepreneurs who may be looking to start a mobile food business.

The highlight of the symposium for foodies has to be the food truck meetup at 1:30, featuring nearly every food truck currently operating in Chicago. But you'll need to register for the symposium, and you can do so here. the symposium begins at 9:30 a.m.; a special session for vendors starts at 8:30 a.m.